Users with portable computing devices often find themselves looking for data connectivity at a variety of locations. Particularly, users prefer to connect using a Wi-Fi network that is open or available for guest users to use, as compared to a cellular data network, which often comes at a cost to the users.
Many businesses and other establishments offer free Wi-Fi to attract patrons. It is not uncommon to detect many open Wi-Fi networks at a given location.
Different Wi-Fi networks are configured differently to allow users to connect to those networks. Many Wi-Fi network configurations are not desirable for a variety of reasons. Users generally do not know any more about an open Wi-Fi network than whether the Wi-Fi network is secure or open. Because only authorized users, or users with the security key can access, guest users are relegated to open Wi-Fi networks with nothing more than a warning that the network the user is connect to is not secured.